Black candidates for ‘white’ Durban suburbs

The traditionally white Durban suburbs of Glenwood and Umbilo have, for the first time, only black candidates for the three major political parties

Durban - The suburbs of Glenwood and Umbilo, a 10-minute drive from the Durban city centre, are well liked for their central location and proximity to the beach.

Umbilo is a traditionally white, Afrikaans, working-class neighbourhood, while Glenwood has been a an urban mix of middle-class white, English speakers.

Now, as South Africans go to the polls for their fourth democratic municipal elections, this predominantly white ward has, for the first time, only black African candidates for the three major political parties.

The DA, which won the ward in 2011 with 71% of the vote, has 27-year-old Mmabatho Tembe as its candidate, while the ANC, which received 22% of the vote, has 28-year-old Luthando Swana as their candidate.

The IFP, which had only garnered 1.5% of the vote, is being represented by Mdu Nkosi, 45.

For many observers, Wednesday’s political duel is a snapshot of the changing face of municipal politics.

Political analyst, Imraan Buccus, said the battle for Ward 33 showed the massive transformation taking place in South Africa.

“You have to bear in mind that a significant number of people from that ward are younger people, with a large student population. With the aura of liberation wearing out in South Africa, particularly young people are more concerned with efficient service delivery rather than romanticised notions of liberation. People are less concerned with historical framing, but are concerned about to what extent parties can deliver,” he said.

Samadoda Fikeni, a political analyst from the University of South Africa, said that race was slowly ”losing its currency” in South African politics, but was still an important factor when people cast their votes.

“Race will especially be used if the socio-economic challenges are not resolved. For as long as you have people link their social well-being to their race, it will continue to be a factor.

“Race and identity will always be invoked when people go through difficult times. Look at what is happening in Scandinavian countries, where people were thought to have gone past their prejudices, only to be exposed through the immigration crisis in Syria to revert back to the primordial identities and all the values of the last 50 years seemed to have dissipated,” he said.

Fikeni said it was up to strong leadership and material change in South Africa for race not to be a factor during elections.

“This is not a linear path to progress. It is a zig-zag. If it is well guided, it will have more ups than downs,” he said.

Daily News